José Montalvo's productions are as many happy homages to diversity. Her fantasy is expressed again in Carmen (s), who takes the heroine of Merimee and makes her travel outside her native Spain. Gitane that José Montalvo calls "world heroine", she embodies the absence of borders in the guise of no less than seven dancers on stage. The Habanera is sung in French and Spanish, but also in Korean and English; Beside the airs of Bizet, the dance also declines the mix of styles dear to José Montalvo, from classical to flamenco through hip hop. Born of Spanish parents exiled under Franco, the choreographer claims the values of miscegenation in the face of exclusion, withdrawal or walls that some intend to erect. A Carmen feminine plural, solar and jubilant.

Source: Maison de la Danse de Lyon

At the end of his teenage years, José Montalvo began studying history of art and plastic arts. He was fascinated by the Dada period and its countless inventions. Whilst continuing his university studies, he took dance classes with Jerome Andrews and Françoise and Dominique Dupuy – and joined their company, the Ballets Modernes de Paris – and continued his dance training with Carolyn Carlson, Lucinda Childs, Alwin Nikolais and Merce Cunningham.

José Montalvo's first creations were short fun-filled pieces, types of choreographic aphorisms, mini danced novels filled with emotions, for which he was honoured with a variety of international awards. One of his performers was called Dominique Hervieu: it was the beginning of an artistic adventure and profound complicity that would result in the creation of the compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu in 1988. In 1989, José Montalvo moved on to an innovational path with the creation of “in situ” events: Dances to see and to dance. In July 1993, invited to the Paris Quartier d'été Festival, he was one of the first choreographers to be associated with the Bal Moderne which was created at the Théâtre National de Chaillot at this time.

Another decisive moment the same year: “Double Trouble”, created with the complicity of the video artist Michel Coste, inaugurated a cycle of works where technological images and the physical presence of dancers were confronted with each other. This period led to the creation of a series of works that intertwine with each other and that, whilst being self-sufficient, could, one day, be applied together, like a great baroque-style fresco. This led to great success. In 1998, José Montalvo and Dominique Hervieu were appointed as directors of the Centre chorégraphique national (National Choreographic Centre) in Creteil, Val de Marne. In 2000, José Montalvo was also appointed as dance director of the Théâtre National de Chaillot which was then directed by Ariel Goldenberg.

In 2001, “Le Jardin io io ito ito” was awarded the Laurence Olivier Prize. In 2004, the choreography and the production of Jean-Philippe Rameau's opera “Les Paladins” won unanimous critical acclaim. The performance was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Prize and obtained the prize for the best live recording of an opera for the film produced by François Roussillon. It was also shown in Shanghai, Athens, Paris and Tokyo. Next followed “On danse”(2005) and a diptych devoted to George Gershwin in 2008, with a production of “Porgy and Bess”for the Opéra de Lyon and, echoing this, a luminous choreographic work created for the Biennale de la danse in Lyon: “Good Morning, Mr. Gershwin”.

In 2006, he was awarded the SACD Prize for all of his works. In June 2008, José Montalvo and Dominique Hervieu accepted the proposal to direct the Théâtre National de Chaillot. “Orphée” and “Lalala Gershwin” were created in 2010 and sealed their last joint creations before Dominique Hervieu left to become director of the Maison de la Danse and the Biennale de la danse in Lyon. José Montalvo continues his missions at the Théâtre National de Chaillot alongside Didier Deschamps, around his own creations and privileges events that contribute to renewing the relationship of the theatre with the public. In June 2013, he will be, in particular, the creator and coordinator of an event focusing on amateur activities.

Sources:  Théâtre National de Chaillot ; Maison de la Danse show program

Born in 1977, Fabien Plasson is a video director specialized in the field of performing arts (dance , music, etc).

During his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (joined in 1995) Fabien discovered video art. He was trained by various video artists (Joel Bartoloméo Pascal Nottoli , Eric Duyckaerts , etc).
He first experimented with the creation of installations and cinematic objects.

From 2001 to 2011, he was in charge of Ginger & Fred video Bar’s programming at La Maison de la Danse in Lyon. He discovered the choreographic field and the importance of this medium in the dissemination, mediation and pedagogical approach to dance alongside Charles Picq, who was a brilliant video director and the director of the video department at that time.

Today, Fabien Plasson is the video director at La Maison de la Danse and in charge of the video section of Numeridanse.tv, an online international  video library, and continues his creative activities, making videos of concerts, performances and also creating video sets for live performances.

Sources: Maison de la Danse ; Fabien Plasson website

More information: fabione.fr